Social Care
Government prepares care homes for coronavirus surge
Councils will be asked to ‘take strong action’ against care homes that ignore new restrictions on movement as part of the Government’s winter plan for the sector.
Before reorganisation we need a clear view of the sector's core purpose
How local government 'can sensibly be reorganised without a clear view of its core purpose (will adult social care services be in or out?) or funding mechanisms' is baffling Abdool Kara.
Forget the charm, local government needs certainty
Heather Jameson asks if Boris Johnson’s surprise appearance on a local government call this week could be the start of a charm offensive. 'Forget the charm, a decent finance settlement and devolution deal will do the trick', she adds.
Ombudsman calls for 'level playing field'
‘Weak’ social care providers are avoiding public accountability, the local government ombudsman has said.
Pay boost for care workers following tribunal
A group of homecare workers have been awarded £100,000 in backdated pay in a tribunal ruling that could have further implications for the sector.
A perfect storm for care homes
Councils must now strategically invest in services to help people stay in their own homes and negotiate jointly with their NHS partners to play a bigger role in modern nursing homes, says Iain MacBeath.
Care home lockdowns on rise
A growing number of councils have imposed lockdowns on care homes in response to rising numbers of coronavirus cases.
Funds ‘not reaching care frontline’
Care England has said bureaucratic hoops are preventing funding from reaching providers.
Social care directors ‘envious’ of NHS
A representative of local government social care directors has told MPs they view better-resourced health counterparts with ‘envy’.
Think tank proposes pension-style social care system
A pension-style model is the most effective way of fixing the social care crisis, a new report from a think tank has argued.
Countywide unitaries ‘could save £3bn’
Replacing two-tier counties with one unitary authority could deliver almost £3bn savings over five years, according to research published by the County Councils Network (CCN) today.
Extra £50m funding for Scottish social care
Social care in Scotland will be given a £50m funding boost to help meet the cost of the coronavirus crisis.
Local government was poorly prepared for pandemic, report finds
A decade of spending cuts, staff shortages and poor contacts with Whitehall meant local government was poorly prepared to cope with the coronavirus pandemic, a report from the Institute for Government think-tank has said.
Centralising care won’t help anyone
Without adult social care, councils would be self-sufficient on business rates, council tax, fees and charges, says Heather Jameson. But it is not just the budget that matters, it is the people, she adds.
Keeping positive outside crisis time
The better nature of people has come to the fore during the recent pandemic, but how do we keep the momentum going in more ‘normal’ times? Dan Corry poses the question.
Long-term care in the wake of COVID-19
Baroness Sally Greengross says the care home sector should not have been ignored in planning for COVID-19, and it is now time for urgent reform to address fundamental structural problems.
New safeguarding system delayed
The full implementation of the replacement of the ‘overly bureaucratic and complicated’ deprivation of liberty safeguards has been delayed by 18 months.
Dilnot brands care system a 'stain on the nation'
The social care system is a ‘stain on the nation’ says the architect of the review that in 2011 backed a £35,000 cap on care costs and a reform of means testing.
Let’s not paper over the cracks
Nathan Elvery examines the impact of spending cuts on councils and communities over a decade and highlights that they are dealing with COVID-19 while balanced on a precarious cliff edge.
Seeking a ray of fiscal hope
Sector experts say the chancellor’s summer statement may ease some pressures on local economies, but does not offer councils any more on funding. Heather Jameson gauges the reaction.
